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Executing a new tablet strategy after past failed attempts, Dell on Monday unveiled Enhanced Security versions of its Latitude 10 tablets that aim at the healthcare, government and financial markets. The Windows 8 Pro, business-friendly tablets offer security features and speed.

The Latitude 10 tablet is powered by the dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor and is suited for users that have to comply with stringent regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Federal Information Processing Standard. The Latitude 10 security configuration is the only dual-authentication Windows 8 tablet with both an integrated smart card and fingerprint reader.

According to a recent Dell and Intel-commissioned Harris Interactive online survey of 204 U.S. healthcare IT decision makers, tablets are increasingly becoming a standard IT device. Fifty-one percent of the healthcare organizations surveyed have deployed them. However, other studies show tablets can cost significantly more time and money to manage than other standard Windows-based devices such as laptops and desktops.

The True Cost of Tablets

Neil Hand, vice president of Tablets and Performance PCs in the End User Computing unit at Dell, said tablets "being deployed in business environments can cause more harm than good in the long run with unforeseen management costs and unsecure data protection and access."

According to the Harris survey, those institutions managing tablets spend an average $2,235.20 configuring these devices to work within their organizations. These costs are often several times more than the actual expense of acquiring the device. Fifty-one percent of tablet using institutions report that the devices required additional software or tools beyond what is used to manage laptops and desktops.

IT decision makers in 42 percent of tablet-using organizations spent 10 to 29 minutes per tablet to achieve the same level of security inherent in Trusted Platform Module chips. And 44 percent of those in tablet-using organizations reported that there are applications used in their organization on desktop and laptop computers that cannot be accessed on tablets.

Dell designed the Latitude 10 to overcome these challenges. Because it is managed like any standard Windows-based laptop, Dell said the Latitude 10 is easier to deploy and manage than the Apple iPad in large-scale implementations.

In fact, according to third-party testing performed by Principled Technologies, when compared with the iPad, the Latitude 10 tablet is up to 17 times faster and 94 percent less expensive to deploy, saving approximately 580 hours in system prep and applications installation; up to 99 percent faster for software updates, saving approximately 197 hours with automated updates; and up to 85 percent cheaper per device to maintain over a three-year period.

Dell's Strong Bet

Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, said the Latitude 10 Enhanced Security could be successful, with its accessories for the healthcare and education verticals.

"They also have software partners to better serve those verticals. Dell is already strong in both, and they represent good markets into which Dell is hoping to introduce a business tablet," Kay told us. "IT managers like Windows for its manageability, and Dell is betting that the endpoint experience is good enough with its touch- and stylus-based tablets to establish a beachhead for the form factor there."

The Dell Latitude 10 Enhanced Security is available worldwide today and costs $779. The Latitude 10 essentials 64GB configuration is available starting at $579. The Latitude 10 essentials 32GB configuration is available for $499.